Tessa is an associate clinical professor and the Director of Didactic Education for the developing Physician Assistant Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She earned her Doctor of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University with an emphasis in global health and has been a dedicated PA educator since 2013, previously serving on faculty at A.T. Still University, where she is also an alumna. Tessa began her clinical career in family medicine before spending seven years with Circle the City, a Federally Qualified Health Center serving individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. This work deepened her commitment to equitable, person-centered care. A long-standing volunteer and advocate for the PA profession, she has served her state PA association in numerous roles, including Director-at-Large and AAPA House of Delegates representative. She is passionate about mentoring future clinicians and has guided PA students in community engagement efforts such as school physicals for Title I schools, health histories at a substance-use rehabilitation facility, service drives, and outreach through a nccPA Health Foundation Be the Change grant focused on skin cancer education for unsheltered populations. Inspired by early experiences supporting a refugee family, Tessa has also participated in humanitarian and medical mission trips to Egypt, Kenya, and Lebanon. She joined the nccPA Health Foundation Board of Directors in 2026.